Puzzles and Dreams
by Ceresi
Summary: A YugiYami love story. Takes place during the Battle City story arc.
1. Default Chapter

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Title: Puzzles and Dreams

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Author: Ceresi

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Rating: PG-13

Yugi has dreams. Of course he does; everyone does. And considering that he is the Chosen One of the ancient Egyptian world, that he shares his body and mind with a pharaoh who can't remember his past, it's hardly surprising that he has _dreams_.

But Yugi's dreams aren't nightmares, or normal dreams. They're . . . glimpses. At least, that's how he thinks of them. He doesn't _like_ to think of them like this, he would give anything to write them off as simple nightmares -- but no, they are glimpses.

One glimpse haunts him.

He's standing beside a dueling platform. If he looks down at his hands, his torso, he finds them transparent. If he looks to his right, he sees his body, moving and speaking without him in it.

It's Yami, of course. Yugi recognizes the way he stands, the sharpness of his cheekbones, the crimson of his eyes.

Yami says nothing, dueling with an eerie, mechanical precision. When Yugi looks across the field he sees, to his horror, that Yami is dueling Kaiba, that there are no lifepoints displayed. This is clearly a match in the Shadow Realms.

Why are Yami and Kaiba dueling? Yugi doesn't now. Why can't he take control of his own body? He doesn't know. Sometimes he thinks that Yami is keeping control to protect him; other times, he thinks that Yami has merely taken control. Who knows what secrets lie in Yami's past? If they uncover them, will he turn out like other ancient spirits -- cold, unfeeling, _evil?_

Yugi shouts for Yami to stop, to listen, to _please_ listen. Nothing. When he looks across the platform, he's startled to see Mokuba crying for his brother to do the same. _Stop, please Seto, don't do this, I don't want you to do this, there has to be another way!_

Terrified by Mokuba's terror, Yugi doubles his cries. But Yami only glances at him -- a quick, enigmatic glance -- and continues the duel.

~

Yugi woke up with a gasp and a cry.

He found himself in a strange bed. He was halfway up and out of it before he remembered; Battle City, blimp, duels, _right_. He ought to be sleeping. A glance at the clock affirmed it -- only eleven at night. He'd been asleep for two hours, if that.

Sighing, Yugi stood. He was shivering all over, mysteriously enough. It was hot in here earlier, but he wasn't allowed to open the windows, and Kaiba would tap dance in Joey's old dog costume before he adjusted the climate control for _Yugi's _benefit. It had been so warm that he fell asleep on top of the covers.

Yugi glanced at the blanket beneath his feet. Apparently, he'd ripped it right off the bed in his nightmare.

That disturbed him. Had he really been thrashing and shouting? Someone might have heard. How would he explain himself -- _gosh, I'm sorry, it's just that I keep having nightmares about the ancient spirit living in my head . . ._

Forcing himself to give a short laugh -- nothing to be gained by moping, after all! -- Yugi picked up the blankets and wrapped them around himself. It helped, a little, but even the blankets felt cold against his skin. Maybe he was sick?

Yugi made a little face as he crawled back into bed. He'd better hope that wasn't the case! If he was, Kaiba would probably drop him off at the nearest hospital and never look back, no matter how much Joey protested.

Yugi drew the covers over his head until only the tips of his hair poked out. This cold really was unnatural; _everything_ felt icy against his skin, even his clothes, his own hands. It was probably just another weird and inexplicable thing that came with the puzzle at his bedside, and it was hard not to feel mildly resentful.

Of course, Yami was probably uncomfortable, too.

Sighing, Yugi rolled onto his back, the blankets falling against his mouth and nose. Even his _breath_ was cold.

His eyes wanted to close. Even if he was slowly freezing to death, he was still tired. Very, very tired . . . and very, very afraid to sleep.

He would just rest his eyes. Yes, that was it. Grandpa always did that. Of course, Yugi was fairly convinced that Grandpa was actually just using that as an excuse to sleep_,_ but you never knew, maybe he was on to something.

__

Just resting my eyes, Yugi told himself. _Just resting them . . ._ His breathing slowed, evened, the cold-shivers racking his body stilled. He might be turning into a block of ice, but he certainly wasn't sleeping, because he was just resting his eyes . . .

~

"Yugi?"

Yugi looked up. "Yami?"

Yami was standing at the top of a long staircase, thrown mostly into shadow. He started to descend. "What are you doing here?" he asked, without accusation. "Is something wrong?"

Yugi blinked, running his hand through his hair. "Um . . ." He caught Yami's eyes. "Actually -- I'm not sure how I got here."

"Interesting." Yami frowned to himself, pausing midway down the steps. His eyes fluttered as he focused on something else. When he glanced at Yugi again, he looked less worried. "Your body is only sleeping," he said. "Your mind apparently decided to roam. No one's cast a spell on you."

Yugi barely heard this last reassurance, or the note of relief it held. "My body's sleeping?" he demanded. "Does that mean that I'll dream?"

Yami frowned again. He stepped down the last few steps like an Emperor descending from his throne. Or rather, a pharaoh. _Get it right, Yugi._

"No," he answered Yugi's question. "You can only dream when your mind is resting. Are you having nightmares, then?"

"Um, yeah." Yugi fidgeted. "Am I -- am I in your soul room again?"

Yami cast a rueful look at the walls and ceilings. "Yes."

Yugi looked around as well. It seemed . . . darker than the last time, or maybe that was his imagination. It was still the complex and confusing place it had always been. As he stared at a staircase to his left, he realized that there was a thin thread drawn across the topmost step -- a trap.

"I guess you haven't made any headway, then?" Yugi asked gently, turning to look back at the spirit before him.

"No," Yami said simply, and turned the tables. "What are your dreams about?"

"Nothing," Yugi said, too quickly. "I mean, just -- they're just nightmares. Nothing to worry about."

Yami watched him intently. "When I was a boy, I used to have prophetic dreams," he said. He looked to the wall at his right, as if he was afraid of Yugi's expression. "I could see many things -- the future, the past. They disappeared as I grew older." He paused. "When I was about your age, actually."

Yugi played with the hem of his sleeve. "So you've remembered something from your past?"

"No." Yami gave a tiny sigh, so small that Yugi halfway thought he'd imagined it. "It's just a fact I know, a memory without substance." Crimson eyes were unnerving when they looked at you so intently. "What did you dream about, Yugi?"

"Nothing, it was just a nightmare." Yugi crossed to a staircase and sat on the bottom step. Yami was unfooled; when Yugi looked up, he got the brunt of his frown. "I . . ."

"Was it about me?"

"Kind of."

"Tell me." Yugi looked down at his feet. "Yugi, I can't help you unless you tell me."

Help. Was that what Yugi wanted? Why else would he have come here?

Maybe this was the way to stop the dream from coming true. To warn Yami before it happened . . . . But then, maybe that was the wrong thing to do. If Yugi could see the future in his dreams, then the future was changeable, then Yugi could affect what happened. What if warning Yami was the _wrong_ thing to do? What if his warning made the dream come true -- or made something even worse happen?

How was he supposed to deal with a responsibility like this?

Yugi opened his mouth, ready to spill out the contents of his dream. Let Yami decide what to do.

But then he closed it.

"Yugi?"

Yugi lifted his head. "Never mind," he said, a bit weakly. Yami looked a hair away from thunderous. "It's nothing, Yami, really."

"At least tell me what it's _about_."

Yugi looked around him and seized upon the closest option. "Your mind!"

Yami's eyebrows drew together. "My mind?"

"Yes! Um, uncovering your memories!" Yugi hopped to his feet. "That's why I came here. I wanted to help you." He caught Yami's wrist, avoiding the spirit's puzzled eyes. "Maybe if I help you, the dreams will go away."

Yami gave in and allowed Yugi to tug him along, up the stairs that Yugi had been sitting on. "Perhaps," he said, still frowning. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"

Yugi shrugged, resolutely looking forward. He stepped over the trap -- Yami waved his hand and it vanished. "I was um, embarrassed."

"Why?"

"It was just . . . the dreams were kind of weird." Yugi dropped Yami's arm and looked over his shoulder at him. "You know your own mind better than I do. Where do you usually go when you're trying to remember things?"

Yami pointed down a passage to Yugi's left. "But I don't see how that will help," he said, joining Yugi on the landing. "I can't find anything at all. Another person won't make much of a difference."

"It might!" Yugi hurried forward a few steps, glanced back at Yami. "Aren't you coming?"

Yami hesitated, then followed.

~

The passage was dark and somewhat dank -- Yugi usually didn't think of caves when he thought of Egypt, or Yami, but that was what this was like. A tall, dark cave made of yellow bricks. Yugi brushed his fingers against one wall and was surprised at how warm it was beneath his fingers. As if it were a living, breathing person . . . he was struck with the thought that this was Yami's _mind_ that he was touching so casually, and he drew his hand back.

When he glanced over at Yami, he found himself being watched with an unfamiliar expression. Yugi tilted his head inquisitively. "What's wrong, Yami?"

Yami turned his eyes forward. "Nothing," he said, face blank. "I should warn you, there's nothing down this passage."

"What do you mean?"

"I've come down here a dozen times." Yami scowled. "I _know_ that this is where my memories lie, but I can't find them. This passage just leads me somewhere else."

Yugi frowned. "Is it the same place every time?" he asked.

"Yes."

"_Every_ time?"

Yami looked deeply discomforted. "Yes."

"Do any of the other passages do that?" Yugi walked backwards so that he could keep an eye on Yami's face. "I mean, lead you to the same place all th --"

"No," Yami interrupted. He nodded his head, gesturing. "There."

Yugi turned, and felt his eyes widen. "What's this?"

Yami looked darkly amused. "A door," he said, and opened it. There was a small hallway . . . and on the other side was another door.

Apprehensive, Yugi stayed close to Yami's side. "Have you gone through these doors before?"

Yami shrugged. "Occasionally."

"They're not trapped or anything? Or . . ." Yugi trailed off, inspecting the hallway and the door thoughtfully. "They're not . . . dangerous . . ." Why did they look so familiar? Had he seen them before?

"Sometimes this one has a trap on it," Yami said, gesturing to the door he'd opened. "That one never does."

Yugi left Yami's side and entered the hallway. Yes, this _was_ familiar.

Smiling, Yugi opened the door in front of him and glanced back at Yami. "Why does the passage of your memories lead you to my mind?" he asked.

Yami looked past him, at the brightly lit playroom.

"I don't know."

~

Yugi looked at his soul room curiously. It was slightly embarrassing to possess a mind full of bright lights and toys when his other half had a maze so confusing it required upside-down staircases, but . . . There was something cheerful about it. He wondered why he hadn't come here more often.

Yami followed him into the room, hesitating at the door. "I don't think that we'll find anything here," he said.

Yugi's foot hit something soft and squishy -- startled, he looked down. His face lit up.

Yami continued, "It's just a coincidence that the passage led here." He paused. "What is it?"

Yugi bent and picked up the stuffed animal. "Panders!"

"What?"

"Panders!" Yugi laughed. "He was my favorite stuffed animal! I carried him _everywhere_ when I was a kid." He inspected Panders closely. He was as ragged and beloved as Yugi remembered, a stuffed panda bear with plastic sticks of bamboo sewed to one paw. "I lost him when I was five. I was _heartbroken_."

Yami's lips were twitching with amusement. "His name is Panders?"

Grinning, Yugi turned to face him. "Yes," he said. "Panders the Panda Bear." Unself-consciously, he hugged the bear to his chest. "I thought he'd been stolen or destroyed."

He had, too. Nothing Grandpa said helped -- he was absolutely convinced that Panders was lost somewhere, scared and alone, wondering why Yugi didn't come get him. He had nightmares for months . . . .

But this wasn't the real Panders, was it? Yes, something inside of him was powerfully joyful at the sight of it. Something that remembered the child he'd been, the grief he'd felt. He pictured his heartbroken five-year-old self and winced with remembered pain.

Yugi never did find the stuffed animal, even after tearing the shop, his kindergarten classroom, and his bedroom apart. Panders had been missing for years; maybe that was just as well. Maybe that was how things were supposed to be.

Face uncharacteristically solemn, Yugi sat Panders on the bed and stepped away. He looked to the door and saw Yami watching him, his hands at his sides, his eyes no longer amused.

"There has to be something here," Yugi said, hoping he wouldn't mention Panders. "Your mind wouldn't have led us here if there wasn't."

Yami nodded slowly and didn't mention Panders. "Perhaps," he said.

Yugi forced a grin. "Well, let's get looking!" he said. "There are a lot of toys to hunt through!"

He was graced with a rare, if troubled, smile. They went to work.

(**Author's Note:** I didn't put this at the top as it's rather long and I can't stand long A/N at the top of a fic, but here it is.

I use the names from the dub and write the story as if the characters are in America. I'm American. I know nothing about Japan. Unlike a lot of people, I don't think that shoving random Japanese words into a fic makes up for this fact.

Also, this fic takes place between episodes, in case you can't tell. There's never a clearly specified time frame, so I've just assumed that they have one duel a day. This is probably a stupid thing to do, because the duels aren't that long, but let's just run with it, shall we? :)

Chapter two will be up soon!)


	2. Chapter Two

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Title: Puzzles and Dreams, Chapter Two

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Author: Ceresi

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Rating: PG-13

Yami glanced up as a stuffed turnip bounced by him. He looked over at Yugi -- still pawing through a toy box -- and went back to searching beneath the bed. A moment later, he heard a grunt.

Yami stopped searching. Yugi was trying to push the box onto it's side, surrounded by a massive pile of toys. "What are you doing?"

Yugi dumped the toys and righted the box, peering inside. "I was right!" he said, hopping to his feet. "It keeps refilling itself!"

Yami looked at the massive heap of toys and the comparatively tiny box. "It took you that long to figure it out?"

"There's _no_ _way _these are all my toys!" Yugi said with an elated laugh. "Grandpa's wrong, I'm not spoiled!"

Yami gave into temptation and wound up a small car near his left foot. It zoomed away and crashed into a wall as he smirked. Even slightly dented, it trumped by far anything _he_ had as a child.

"Whatever you say," he said to Yugi, and went back to the bed.

Yugi laughed again, pushing his hair out of his face. "Have you found anything at all?"

Yami frowned as he remembered what they were looking for. He pushed a book about three pigs out of his way and said, "No."

"I don't get it. The passage led us _here_."

Yami pushed a white box out of his way without really looking at it. "It's probably just a coincidence, Yugi."

"I don't think so. If it _always_ leads you here, then there _must_ be something here. We just have to find out where it's hidden."

Yami looked around himself briefly. He was in a room full of toys and child's paintings, simple and carefree. It was hard to think of his dark past secreted away beneath the bed -- it was hard to think of _anything_ secreted away here.

Yugi left the toy box, apparently realizing that a bottomless container of toys would take a long time to search. "Maybe there's something written on the walls," he murmured. "Beneath the paint . . ."

The idea was far fetched, but Yami often found things written on the walls of his own mind. He turned, intending to ask Yugi how he would look _beneath_ the paint when something caught his eye; a box, the white box he'd pushed away earlier.

It was about one foot wide, three inches deep, and completely white -- except for a child's drawing on the lid. Yellow scribbles decorated the bottom; a giant sun, a sky, and one fluffy white cloud filled the top. A brown triangle drew his attention to the scrawled horizon.

A surprisingly three-dimensional brown triangle. With a messily-drawn eye . . .

Yami traced the child's version of the Millennium Puzzle with a shaky hand. So here it was. Hidden in someone else's soul, buried beneath their mind-bed, but here it was.

He lifted the lid as Yugi searched for hidden doors and messages. The box was full of tiny pieces of cardboard -- Yami held one up and recognized the shape. A puzzle piece.

"Did you like puzzles when you were young, Yugi?" Yami asked.

Yugi turned from the wall he was inspecting. "Yeah, I loved them," he said. "Puzzles and Duel Monsters. It's weird, though, that there aren't any cards in here, or puzzles."

Yami let the piece fall back into the box. "I found a puzzle."

Yugi heard the strange note in his voice and crawled onto the bed, peering over the edge to see what Yami was looking at. "Yep. Looks like a hard one, too, see how small the pieces are?" He lifted one. "I wonder what it's a picture of. It looks like a photograph of some sort . . ." He trailed off.

Yami lifted his head. Yugi sounded alarmed. "Yugi?"

Yugi dropped the puzzle piece. "A _moving_ photograph," he exclaimed. "What's on the cover, Yami?"

Reluctantly, Yami showed him.

"Of course! You found it!" Yugi flashed him an excited grin. "Perfect, Yami! If we just assemble this puzzle, I bet we can figure out your past!"

Yami frowned at the puzzle, but said nothing.

"Here, let's do it up here," Yugi said, lifting the box into his lap. "There's more room. Come on, Yami, d'you want to help?"

Yami stood and perched on the edge of the bed, as if worried that his slight weight might tip it. Yugi poured the pieces onto the blankets and rifled through them. "This is going to be hard. It doesn't look like there are any edge pieces . . ."

"Edge pieces?"

"Pieces that make up the border," Yugi explained. He set the box aside. "They have straight edges, so they stand out, and they're easier to assemble. I always start with the edges."

Despite his words, Yugi immediately fitted two pieces together, and another two, and then three. Yami watched, very still, hands in his lap, as Yugi assembled the puzzle with truly awe-inspiring speed. He wasn't even watching as he put the pieces together, simply reaching out blindly and finding exactly the right ones.

When he had assembled a piece about the size of his hand, he set it carefully on the bed. "Look, Yami!"

Yami was. "It looks like Tèa."

"That's just what I was thinking." Yugi frowned. "What does Tèa have to do with your past?"

Yami shrugged.

Yugi went back to work.

Yami watched him silently, took in his quick hands and lively expression. He glanced away and caught sight of the puzzle box. He scowled ferociously.

"And look, that looks like Joey!" Yugi ran his hands through his hair, leaving it even wilder than usual. "Maybe this shows the future instead of the past. I'm running out of pieces, though . . ." He trailed off as Yami reached past him and lifted the puzzle box, dumping a fresh batch onto the bed.

Silence.

"I guess it's another one of those refilling boxes, huh?" Yugi said.

"It seems that way," Yami said. He dropped the box. This time, they watched as pieces materialized until the box was full.

"Why does everything in my mind constantly refill itself?" Yugi asked, looking unhappy. He continued to assemble the puzzle, however. "It makes things complicated."

Yami said nothing, turning his eyes to the door. He thought about the light that constantly flowed from it, Yugi's continual good cheer, how he never seemed to run out of smiles or laughter.

"Maybe this isn't the way to figure out your past," Yugi said, drawing back Yami's attention. He was putting the puzzle together almost absently. "Maybe this is . . . I don't know, showing us your future?"

It was the second time Yugi had mentioned prophecy. Yami wondered what was bothering him.

"I don't know." Suddenly irritated with the bottomless box, he clapped the lid over it and flipped it over. At least he didn't have to keep looking at the Millennium Puzzle. "This isn't a good idea, Yugi."

Yugi laid off the puzzle, lying down a piece that showed a picture of himself -- or of Yami, it was hard to tell. "Why not?" He sounded disappointed. "Maybe we can find out something to help you."

__

In your mind? Yami wondered. Why would the secrets to _his_ future be hidden in _Yugi's_ mind? Were they that connected?

He looked into the innocent violet eyes of the boy in front of him.

"I don't think we'll find anything," Yami lied. "I think this puzzle is . . . dangerous."

"How is that possible?" Yugi crawled off the bed as Yami stood and headed for the door. "We found it in _my_ mind. I don't see how it could hurt you, because I would never -- I mean, I wouldn't hurt either of us."

Yami didn't look back. "We can work on it later," he said. "You should get some real sleep, or you'll be tired tomorrow." 

Yugi was standing in the middle of the room when Yami paused in the doorway.

"I just want to help," Yugi said apologetically.

"I know," Yami said. "Get some sleep."

Yugi looked uncertain.

"Just go to sleep in here," Yami explained, gesturing to show that he meant the room. "Even if your body is resting right now, your mind isn't. When you wake up you'll be back inside of your body."

"That's what I thought," Yugi said quietly. "I'm sorry, pharaoh."

Yami didn't like hearing his title on Yugi's lips. "Good night," he said, and made to close the door.

"No, leave it open," Yugi said. He was moving the puzzle pieces he had assembled to the floor with the utmost care, his face unusually thoughtful. When he looked up and found Yami watching him, he added, "It just feels right open."  


Yami was relieved. Even with the door to his own mind shut, the light from Yugi's soul room was the brightest illumination he could find, far brighter than anything he could produce himself.

Yugi smiled at him. "Goodnight, Yami."

~

The next night, he woke with someone gripping his shoulders tightly. He cried out, sat up, fighting desperately and blindly. Hands caught his and held onto him gently.

Gasping, he managed to get his eyes open, managed to look at the person in front of him. He recognized them by the shape of their hair, traced by moonlight. His hands stilled. "Yami?"

Yami let him go. "Are you all right?"

Still panting, Yugi drew the blankets up closer. He was _freezing._ And if he closed his eyes, glimpses of his nightmare played against his eyes.

Yami sat silently at his side. When he spoke again, Yugi was much calmer. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing important," Yugi lied quietly. He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, pulling his legs up to his chest. "Just a nightmare. Did I, um, wake you up somehow?"

Yami sounded a bit amused. "No," he said. "I was awake." He sighed. Yugi had to watch his face closely to tell where it was looking -- he was surprised to find that Yami was staring at him. But Yugi had his back to the window. Yami couldn't see his expression, could he? It was as if Yami could see right through him.

Uncomfortably, Yugi asked, "Can I ask you something, Yami?"

"Of course."

"Um." Yugi took a deep breath. "If . . . if you thought you had to. I mean, if it was _important_, would you -- take over?" Nothing. "You know, my body?"

A long pause.

"Like Yami Bakura?" Yami asked.

"Uh." Yugi looked down, unable to escape the feeling that Yami _could_ see his face. He was looking right at him! "Kind of. But -- Not evil. Just. Would you?"

Silence. Yugi could hear the faucet dripping in the bathroom.

"No," Yami finally said, voice tight. "Of course not."

Yugi wasn't reassured, but he forced himself to nod. "Thank you."

"For what?" Yami asked bluntly. "For not being evil?"

He sounded _bitter_. "Of course not," Yugi said. "For telling me the truth." _Even though I'm lying to you._ "For not getting mad at me for asking."

Yami sighed. His expression was faintly guilty.

"I understand," he said.

Yugi wasn't sure as to what he understood, but he knew that he shouldn't have to ask. So he adjusted his grip on the blanket and tried not to shiver.

"Are you cold?" Yami asked eventually.

"Yes," Yugi said. "It's not -- normal cold."

"No," Yami agreed. "I was always cold . . . after I had a prophetic dream."

Yugi said nothing.

Yami stood. "I'm leaving," he announced. "Good night, Yugi."

"Good night, Yami."

He vanished. Yugi stared at the spot where his ghostly silhouette used to be and felt the chill in his bones.

~

Rather than sleep, Yugi fell into the trace he'd used the night before. And rather than dwell on his nightmare, he thought of his soul room, something he was now quite familiar with.

When he opened his eyes, he was staring into Yami's unusually dark soul room. Was there any light in there at _all? _Should he search for Yami. make sure that he was all right? Worried, he turned and looked through the open door of his room.

Yami was there.

He sat in the center of Yugi's bed, his elbows on his knees, his head buried in his arms. It was a crying pose, but Yami certainly wasn't crying. He just looked tired.

Yugi entered the room. When he reached Yami's side he felt something small under his foot -- he looked down at them to see what it was. His eyes widened.

The puzzle pieces. All that he had managed to assemble . . . they had been broken, thrown to the ground and scattered.

Disappointed, he knelt to look at them more closely. There were more than he remembered . . . .

"Yes." Yugi's head flew up. Yami was watching him with tired eyes. "I worked on it."

Yugi straightened. "What did you see?" he asked eagerly. "Did you learn anything?"

"Not really."

"What did you see?" he pressed. He realized that something was wrong. Concerned, Yugi sat at Yami's side, resisting the urge to put an arm around him like he would for Joey or Tèa. "Is everything all right, Yami?"

"Yes, of course." Yami's legs straightened, his feet landed on the ground. He stood. "I shouldn't have come in here without your permission. I'm sorry."

Yugi waved his hand dismissively, more concerned with the dark expression on Yami's face. "It's fine, you can come in here whenever you want."

He was pleased. "Thank you, Yugi."

"But tell me what's wrong. Something's bothering you."

Yami shook his head. "It's nothing, Yugi."

"It's _something._ Yami, when I'm upset, you make me tell you what's wrong." Yugi stood, minimizing some of the difference in height. "You do everything you can to help me. Let me do the same. Please?"

Yami sighed. "There's nothing you can do, Yugi," he said. "Please don't ask me anymore."

Yugi caught his breath. Well, that was rather final. And, he couldn't help but think, a bit harsh.

"All -- all right. If you're sure . . . ."

Yami nodded and turned to go. Yugi waited until he stood in the door way to call him back. "Yami?"

Yami looked around at him.

"Is it something I did?"

Yami inspected his face very closely. Yugi felt himself flush.

"No."

~

"You didn' have a choice, Yug."

"I did," Yugi said softly. He reached over and tugged the blankets up around Bakura's chin. He looked smaller, incredibly fragile, lying in the hospital bed. "There's always a choice."

"Well, there were no good choices, then." Joey stuck his chin out stubbornly when Yugi glanced at him. "And that -- that Spirit thing knew it, too. He was usin' you. That was a rock and hard place, Yug."

Yugi looked at the serenely sleeping boy in front of him.

"Ask anyone," Joey continued. "Ask Yami. He'll tell you. And he won' lie to you, Yug. I don' think he'll lie to anyone."

"No." Yugi voice was unusually quiet, even to himself. "Maybe not." But he didn't really believe it.

~

"Aren't you supposed to be eating breakfast?"

Yugi turned and nearly fell off the staircase. "Yami! I was looking for you."

Yami tilted his head inquisitively, standing on the floor just in front of Yugi's staircase. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Yugi said firmly. "You know, Joey doesn't think you lie to anyone. Ever at all."

Yami blinked. "I try not to," he said cautiously. "Do you think I do?"

"I think you're lying to _me._ I think --" Yugi sat on the step he'd nearly fallen off of. He was just level with Yami's eyes when he sat here. "I think you're not telling me the truth about what's bothering you. And I really want you to. I can't make you, but you said we're _partners."_

"Yugi --"

"You said we're _friends._ And partners and friends help each other." Yugi took a deep breath and looked down at his knees, at his twisting hands. This was going to be hard. "And I have something I have to tell you first."

Yami looked as if the turns were coming too hard and fast for him to keep up with. He hooked his fingers in his pockets and nodded once, looking at Yugi's face intently.

"I, um." Yugi forced himself to look up. "I lied to you," he said miserably.

Yami's eyes widened. He looked as if a lie from Yugi was the last thing he had ever expected, as if he hadn't even thought it _possible_.

Yugi's insides twisted with guilt. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, looking down again. "But --" He lifted one hand to rub at his eye. "I didn't want to worry you. I didn't want you to think -- that I don't trust you."

"But you don't, do you?"

Yugi's head flew up. "I do trust you!" he said hotly. "More than anyone, even Joey!"

Yami's lips parted, quietly stunned at this vow. They looked at each other in silence -- and then Yami shook himself.

"It's all right," he said. "You _shouldn't_ trust me." He joined Yugi on the stairway, sitting just two steps down. "Tell me what you need to tell me, Yugi. I'll listen, I promise."

Yugi slumped again, unenthusiastic. "I have these dreams. Nightmares. They've been happening for a long time now." He took a deep breath. "It's the same every time. I'm on a dueling platform. Mokuba is right across from me, and Kaiba is beside him." He looked at Yami -- all he could see of his face was his profile. He wasn't even looking at Yugi; rather, he seemed to be staring over his knees. It made things easier.

"And I look over to my right, and you're there." Yugi swallowed when he saw Yami swallow. "I'm outside of my body, watching you duel. And I can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen -- whether you win or lose, something terrible."

Yami turned around finally. Their eyes met. Yugi was stunned with the knowing he found there.

"Mokuba shouts for Kaiba to stop," Yami said quietly. "He says that he doesn't want this to happen, that he should forfeit, just please . . ." He looked away. His voice was flat. "Just please stop dueling."

"Yes," Yugi said, entranced. "Did you have the dream too?"

"Yes."

"Then -- you know that I ask you to do the same thing." Yami's eyes fluttered. "That I'm begging you to stop. And you -- you don't. And that's what frightened me." Yugi scooted forward, plopping himself down on Yami's step. He gave into his urge to grab Yami's hands and wrapped them tight in his own.

"That's why I didn't tell you. I was afraid that I would make things wrong by telling you. And I was afraid that if you found out about your past -- that you'd become evil, like Yami Bakura. And I didn't want you to become evil and I didn't want to mess things up I just wanted you to let me help you. I'm sorry."

Yami looked at him.

"I'm really sorry," Yugi said. He lowered his eyes. "Pharaoh, really and truly. I'm sorry."

"Don't call me that," Yami said softly. And when Yugi worked up the courage to meet his gaze, he added, "I'm sorry, too."

"For what?"

Yami smiled faintly, bitterly. "You'll see."

Yami kissed him.

Yugi didn't even think to gasp -- he didn't think anything, really, which was unusual. He barely had time to take it all in; the warmth, the wetness, Yami's hand on his shoulder, the soft brush of his breath. There was no time to do anything but sit, eyes opened wide, and be kissed.

Yami drew away and didn't look at him. "Leave, now."

Yugi stared at him helplessly. "I --"

Yami got to his feet and started up the stairs. Unbreachable distance filled the air between them -- Yugi thought to reach out but his arms were glued to his sides.

"Yami --"

Yami's voice was gentle. "Now, Yugi."

Yugi finally found his wits, his breath. He fled.

~

Panders was not as comforting as Yugi remembered.

He sat on his bed, surrounded by puzzle pieces and toys, and Panders rested in his lap. Yugi tried hugging him, talking to him, all the things he used to do as a child. But try as he might, Panders was just a bundle of furry cloth and buttons. And plastic bamboo.

This was a real problem. An _adult_ problem. Panders couldn't help with this. It was the sort of thing he might have talked to Joey about, or Tèa, but he couldn't think of a way to broach the subject. _Well, I was having this conversation with Yami, see, and he . . ._

No, he couldn't tell them.

He wondered, idly, if he could maybe tell Bakura. But -- Bakura was unconscious. And what if Bakura had an answer? What if Bakura thought . . . well, he couldn't picture Bakura saying that something was sick or wrong, but what if Bakura told him he should put a stop to it?

It was what Yami was afraid of, he thought. That Yugi would tell him to stop, that he might refuse to help him in his quest.

But of course, he couldn't do that.

He _wouldn't_.

He _refused_ to hurt Yami. The feeling bubbled up inside of him with such intensity that it took his breath; he would not hurt Yami, he would not let Yami be hurt. It was a feeling stronger than anything he'd ever felt, even the fear when Grandpa's soul was stolen. A feeling stronger than his affection for Joey or Tèa or Tristan or any of his friends . . . .

Yugi laid back in his bed and managed to go to sleep.

~

Yami is standing in a stone room, surrounded by cloaked and hooded men. There are three narrow windows, near the ceiling, revealing a glimpse of the sky at sunrise. The men are chanting, harsh Egyptian words that Yugi doesn't recognize, can't understand. He avoids entering the circle that the men form and peers between them at the face of his friend.

The chanting continues. One man steps forward, a serrated blade held in his hand. Yami is staring past him, out the windows, at the sky -- he holds his arms out for the man without looking away. His lips move, following the chant, without looking away. He lets the blade part his skin, lets patterns be traced in his blood, without looking away.

He is still looking out the windows when the men file out silently. He is still looking out the windows when Yugi approaches him at last, nervous, and stands at his side. He is still looking out the windows when Yugi glances at them in an attempt to see what he is seeing, when Yugi identifies that delicate shade of purple; the color he sees in the mirror, the color of his own eyes.

But when Yugi glances over, he finds Yami watching him.

~

He found Yami in a dark passage within the pharaoh's own soul room, head tilted backwards, hands in his pockets. Yugi watched him silently, observing the sharpness of his chin, the lines of his throat. His hands.

"Are you all right, Yami?"

Yami jumped, looked at him. "Yugi?"

"It's me." Yugi smiled. "Are you all right?"

Yami looked at him intently. He straightened suddenly, his hands falling to his side. "Yes."

Yugi looked around curiously. "Where are we?" he asked. He put out his hand and touched the wall -- it felt warm and dry, real. He looked at Yami with his head tilted. "What's this passage?"

Yami looked away, staring down the dark corridor. "I'm not sure," he said. "I've never been down here before."

"Then let's explore!" When Yami looked at him, clearly startled, Yugi beamed. "Come on!"

Yami followed him. When Yugi began chattering, talking about Joey's latest strategy, Bakura's recovery, the threat of Marik, he seemed surprised, nonplussed. It was like he didn't know what to do. Thankfully, however, he didn't order Yugi to leave.

The lengthy tunnel wound up leading them right back to where they'd started. Yugi spent a moment tracing their path in his mind; there was no way that they'd walked in a circle. If anything, he figured, they'd been walking more or less diagonally. How, then, did they end up here . . .

"It's not real," Yami said, sensing what bothered him. "Just a mental representation of thought. It doesn't always . . . work the right way."

His legs aching with tiredness, Yugi plopped onto a stair, glancing up at Yami. "Sit here with me?" he asked. Yami sat.

Yugi began chattering again. Yami watched him attentively, commenting only when Yugi demanded a reply. Finally, Yugi paused for a breath -- and Yami leapt in. "Yugi?"

Yugi turned so that he was facing him. "Yes?"

"What are you . . ." The pharaoh stared at him for a moment, and shook his head. "What are you doing?"

"Talking to you," Yugi said. "I've always liked talking to you."

Yami blinked a few times. "Oh."

"D'you want me to stop?" Yugi asked. Inside his sleeve, he crossed his fingers.

Yami blinked a few more times. "No," he said at last.

Yugi grinned, relieved, and scooted closer as unobtrusively as possible.

~

"Bakura will be all right," Yami said, with his continual air of reassurance. "You've done everything you can."

"I know," Yugi said with a sigh. "But I still feel guilty."

The two of them were standing in the doorway to Yugi's soul room. Yami insisted that Yugi get some sleep, lest he fall asleep tomorrow during a duel.

"You have nothing to feel guilty for," Yami said, He gestured for Yugi to enter his soul room. Amused, Yugi did. Yami could be as bossy as Grandpa sometimes.

A bit unsure of himself, Yugi sat on his bed, still messy from the last time he slept there. He looked around critically. "I really need to clean in here," he said, changing the subject. "There are toys _everywhere."_

Yami looked around as well. "It not easy to clean a soul room," he said thoughtfully. "It's more complicated than simple cleaning."

"Oh," Yugi said.

"Besides, when everything's messy, it's easier to find things."

Yugi laughed. "You sound like Joey!"

Yami looked highly amused by this. He pointed to the bed. "Get in there," he ordered. A little bashful, Yugi did, lying back too quickly and almost bumping his head. Blushing, he rearranged himself and lied down properly.

Yami reached out and pulled the covers up to his chest. "Now go to sleep."

"It's not that easy," Yugi protested, even as his eyelids drooped. "I'm not tired."

Smirking, Yami sat on the edge of his bed. "I'll make sure you go to sleep," he said. "Just close your eyes and breathe deeply."

Yugi tried that and felt lightheaded. When he peeked to see if Yami was really watching him, he received a stern glare. Finally, tired of trying to sleep on his back (a very uncomfortable position) he rolled onto his side, facing Yami, and felt his body begin to relax.

A warm hand placed itself on his shoulder, pushing his hair out of his face. "If you start to dream," Yami promised, "I'll wake you."

Yugi thought of his most recent dream. "It's all right," he said slowly. "Let me sleep."

The hand stroked his cheek, his forehead. Yugi opened his eyes just as Yami kissed his temple, his nose, his lips.

Stunned, Yugi strained to face him -- he reached up and grabbed the back of his neck, his fingers tightening in the cloth of his shirt. He hadn't known that someone could make you feel so much just by kissing you. When Yami's tongue tasted his bottom lip, he shivered.

Yami pulled away, looking at the flushed, open-mouthed boy before him.

"Now I'm not tired at _all_," Yugi said.

Yami put his hand on Yugi's forehead, drawing his thumb over his his left eyelid and his pinky over his right. Drowsiness hit Yugi like a wave.

"Cheater," he mumbled.

The last thing he felt was Yami settling beside him, the last thing he remembered doing was pulling him closer, until Yami could place a soft kiss on his mouth again.

(**A/N: ** The end! Well, for now. I'd like to write more, and if I manage to catch all of the Battle City reruns, I definitely will.

Hugs to Midnight_Phoenix, YamiSilver, Riaku, Nenya85, Yugi-obsessed, YugiYami Lover, bluepapercrane, Cyberkat, my lovely Space Case, Erikahavikel, Misty, and Meemo for their kind reviews. *snuggles*)


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